Today being summer solstice and the “longest day” of the year, which means more time for you to listen to and enjoy some beautiful music, I thought it was a good time to update the blog with some goodness. Additionally, today is a special day in France, as well as in several countries around the world, where the “fête de la musique” is celebrated. This celebration, initially launched in France in the 1980s has become a very important event for unscrupulous promoters, bar or restaurant owners music lovers. Even though I am not one to celebrate “commercial” holidays and never need a special day to tell people I love them or enjoy some music, I think it can be a good way to discover new artists and support any type of musical creation. With that said, today is also a way for me to catch up on posts I have meant to feature on the blog in a (very) long time, hence this article about an album that was released in June last year. I already told you about the beautiful and talented Erika Lernot quite a while ago, when I introduced you to her debut EP Le Voyage. After this appetiser, the French singer delighted our ears with the LP of the same name. As full of lovely melodies, enchanting vocals and inspiring lyrics as the EP, Erika Lernot’s debut full-length album is simply perfect. A true “voyage” through music and an invitation to venture in unknown territories, the project is one I have listened to quite regularly since it was released and which never fails to make a smile appear on my face and my body dance to the most lively songs.
Besides the eclectic sonorities, varying from exciting West Indians percussions to delicate guitars or Erika’s voice, which is definitely an instrument in its own right, all treating our ears to a wonderful sonic journey, the strength of Le Voyage is found both in the eclecticism of the soundscapes/musical genres and the feelings expressed by the singer on the most personal songs. Among those “emotional” tracks, my favourite is without a doubt La vague (“the wave”), which has never ceased to touch me deeply since I listened to it for the first time on MySpace many moons ago, at the time when I actually discovered Erika Lernot. I was therefore elated when I saw that the beautiful, perfectly written song appeared in the tracklist of the album. Apart from the tracks that were already present on the EP and which I loved, I was enchanted by Il m’aime (“he loves me”), another personal song that also moved me and gave me some hope for love and a future where I could dedicate this type of song to a special someone. Other standout tracks include Lévé, featuring Milk & Coffee, Au bord de tes lèvres, as well as the title track and its (incredibly too short) prelude, featuring Sabine Vadeleux. You may probably have understood by now that there is very little, if anything, that I didn’t love about Le Voyage and that I highly recommend you give it a listen and buy it. It will definitely brighten up your day and encourage you to open up your heart and mind to the world around you. Personally, even though I am at a time where I clearly don’t need much pressure to feed my wanderlust, albums like this one are simply a confirmation that music is one of the most beautiful ways to travel without moving.

You can buy Le Voyage on and discover a lovely acoustic rendition of Sa mwen vlè below, which should convince you of how talented Erika Lernot is. You are of course encouraged to share the link and tell all your friends and fellow music lovers about the album!